Scotland: The Hunterian

Glasgow, Scotland

University of Glasgow

The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery

June 19, 2012

This place screams "I am a museum!", doesn't it?  Feast your eyes on The Hunterian, Scotland's oldest public museum.  It is home to the largest single holding of the works of the famous Scottish Arts and Crafts/Art Nouveau designer; Charles Rennie Mackintosh.  Sadly, that exhibit was not open the day we visited the museum.  Frownie faces all around.  

Luckily we managed to amuse ourselves in their permanent collections.  The exhibit of The Antonine Wall was of particular interest to me, mostly because we had been talking about Rome's influence in Scotland the previous evening.  Like most people mistakenly assume, Rome's outer reach did not end at the infamous Hadrian's Wall.  I loved looking at the Roman coinage, garment artifacts, weapons, etc..  The inscribed tablets and other pieces of stone which date The Antonine Wall were also very interesting.

The admission to this museum was free, as was the Scottish National Gallery in Edinburgh.  Apparently these are funded by council tax.  Civilized, that.

Scotland: Olympic Fever

Edinburgh, Scotland

June 18, 2012

I wouldn't say that people were feverish about the olympics 'down South'.  There were plenty of adverts in cities, on the telly, etc.....and this awful thing.  It seemed very out of place in Edinburgh, maybe it was because we had just walked down from the castle, I don't know.  I do know that when we rounded the bend and saw this, we all exhaled a disgusted sigh.  

I am rather pleased with how the buildings lined up inside the rings.  I wish I could say that composition was intentional, errrrm, it was not.

Scotland: The Cuillins

Glen Sligachan

Sligachan, Scotland

June 22, 2012

In the heart of Scotland's Isle of Skye (or just plain 'Skye', as the locals call it) lies The Cuillins, one of 40 national scenic areas in Scotland.  I hope you can understand why from this shot.  Stunning.

We hiked up the Glen for a couple hours, towards the hill you can see on the left in the distance.  That peak is named Marsco, it is part of the Red Hills/Red Cuillins.  The Red Hills are mostly composed of granite, compared to the Black Cuillins (you can see the base of them on the right hand of the shot) which are mostly basalt and gabbro.

This area of Scotland is a popular destination for ramblers, hikers and climbers.  If you are up for a challenge, you can complete the Black Cuillin Traverse. This takes you from Glenbrittle in the West, to Sligachan in the East. 

It's no wonder that Skye was used in the opening sequence of Prometheus, its landscape has an otherworldy feel.  

It was an amazing hike up the glen, I wish we could've ventured further.  If you happen to find yourself in Sligachan.  Stop, go for a ramble and recuperate in the Sligachan's excellent pub afterwards.

Iceland: Keflavik International Airport Scooter

Keflavíkurflugvöllur

Keflavik, Iceland

July 1, 2012

It was odd to begin celebrating Canada Day in Iceland...2012 was that kind of summer. Luckily it was also the same day as the Euro 2012 final which gave us something to do as we killed time in Boston, waiting for our return flight to Nova Scotia.

While we queued up for the first leg of our flight home, I noticed this sleek piece of industrial design leaning up against the window. Had a child left it there by accident? No, this is an official scooter for IGS. They run the terminal's 'nordic deli' restaurants and bars as well as aircraft handling for the airport.

Sadly, I missed the opportunity to snap a shot of another IGS scooter that had the front of the scooter modified to carry trays of food . Next time....

What's on this weekend? New Ross Christmas Festival! Breakfast! Desbrisay Open House!

New Ross is the place to be this weekend for all things Christmas.  Hebbs Cross has your greasy breakfast fix, back to New Ross Friday and Saturday for a community supper.

Breakfasts

Dec. 8
Hebbs Cross Fire Department
7:00am - 11:00am,
Homemade baked beans, eggs, hash browns, bacon, sausage, toast, tea, coffee, juice. 

Price $7, children $3.

Suppers

December 7

Community Supper
New Ross Legion

4:30pm - 6:30pm,
Come and taste all the delicious foods that makes up a Pot Luck meal. 

Adults $9.00; 5 - 12 years - $4.00 and those under 5 years eat at no cost to you. 

There will be Christmas crafts and Surprise Packages for sale, and perhaps baked goods.

Dec. 8
Turkey Dinner & Supper
Forties Community Centre

11:30am - 1:30pm,
Turkey dinner with all the trimmings. 

Adults $10; 12 and under $5; under 5 $2.50. 

Proudly part of the New Ross Christmas Festival. 

Call 689-2612 or 689-2000 for information.

Community Events

Dec.8
Craft Fair and Tree Decorating Contest
Forties Community Centre

10:00am - 4:00pm,
No admission. 

Proudly part of the New Ross Christmas Festival. 

Call 689-2612 or 689-2000 for information.

Dec. 8
Christmas Craft & Gift Fair
New Ross Consolidated School

10:00am,
A large Craft & Gift Fair featuring 40 vendors.

Festival Stage performers and Demonstrations of traditional crafts. 

Light lunch available and door prize draw.

Dec. 8
Christkindlmarkt - part of the New Ross Christmas Festival
Bandstand

4:00 pm,
A little German Christmas Festival for those who miss them. 

A part of the New Ross Christmas Festival. 

Featuring German sausage, Pancakes and cookies with other genuine German goodies.

Dec. 9

DesBrisay Museum Christmas Open House
DesBrisay Museum

2:00pm - 4:00pm,
Crafts and games for the kids, face painting, gingerbread decorating, Jelly bean game.

Christmas Carol singalong, Christmas trivia games, door prizes, apple cider, punch and Christmas Cookies. 

Bring a food bank donation.

Mommy....where do socks come from?

Sock knitting machines

Halifax Crafters Merry Beary Market

Olympic Hall

Halifax, NS

Dec. 1, 2012

While perusing the offerings at the recent Halifax Crafters winter market, I did a double take after I passed a stand selling socks.  What did I just see?  Wait...was that a machine that makes socks?!?  It sure was!

From what I've gleaned online, this is a P.T. Legare Circular Knitting Machine.  Check out the many varieties of these time saving devices here.  

If you'd like to learn more about the crafter who owns this machine, check out this interview with crafter Rosie Smith on the Halifax Crafters' site.

Congrats to the organizers and crafters for another successful craft show!

Scotland: The Lonely Walk Home

Glasgow, Scotland

June 19, 2012

I spotted this fellow on the cab ride home after a hard day's work of boozing and dining in the West End.  As you can see, this area was semi-industrial. At the time, his suit and tie apparel seemed like a nice contrast to the surroundings.